Shooting high school football games is a privilege these days because it usually requires a field pass from the Athletic Director. It also takes some survival skills. Many years ago I experienced the football version of the line from Jurassic Park … “Objects in the “viewfinder” are closer than they appear”.
Aside from getting creamed by a running back while making a split second decision between broken bones or broken cameras, the on-field experience of shooting a Friday night high school football game is truly a fun experience. Equipment wise, you are best using an f/2.8 70-200mm zoom with a camera capable of producing good photos at an ISO between 2500 and 4000. That will give you some wiggle room for dark areas of the field and end zone shots while maintaining a shutter speed between 1/250 and 1/800 of a second.
Then you need to know where to stand. Ask yourself, which team has the ball, which direction are they moving, will it be a pass or hand-off, which side does the quarterback favor, what down is it, what’s the score, how much time is left in the quarter? That will tell you where to be and how much time you have to get there (Position, Position, Position).
Actually, at my age, by the third quarter I’ve claimed a spot along the side line waiting for the action to come to me.
LINK TO GALLERY (Lodi High 2019 Football Highlights)
Photography Anecdotes 